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Who Is Noah Thompson? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

Who is Noah Thompson? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-noah-thompson

Photo by David McClister

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Noah Thompson
Birthdate – 04/18/2002
Hometown – Blaine, Kentucky
Current City – Louisa, Kentucky (*Nashville, Tennessee in January 2023)
Musical Influences – Chris Stapleton, Neil Young, Kameron Marlowe, Morgan Wallen
Current Single – “Make You Rich” (*as of date of article: 11/14/22)

The Beginning:

Today, we are shining our spotlight on an artist that is as humble as he is talented. Noah Thompson, Season 2020 American Idol’s winner chatted with us about his journey thus far, new music, and everything in between.

“I’m just a small-town kid that basically came from the middle of nowhere,” began Thompson. “I grew up with a dad that was constantly embedding music into my brain from the time I came out of the womb, there was a guitar in my face.” The singer recalls gravitating towards rock and southern rock music growing up. “I loved Neil Young growing up. […] I listened to a lot of older artists, I listened to a mix.”

Despite loving music, Thompson never imagined he would become a recording artist. “It was always a dream for me to do this.” Interestingly though, it was not until after high school that he started really loving country music. “I didn’t really start getting into country music until right around the time I started to work with the boys I worked with straight out of high school,” adding later, “[It was] Keith Whitley, Eric Church […], These are the guys that got me into country.”

One of his co-workers and friends, Arthur Johnson even signed him up for American Idol, the show he went on to win.

The Turning Point:

“[Arthur Johnson] signed me up for a show called American Idol and I just kind of went into it out of the blue just to see what would happen, not knowing that I would end up winning it. […] It completely changed my life forever,” shared Thompson. “In my mind, I just wasn’t good enough and I would tell myself that […] But then along came Arthur and we were just sitting at work and he was like I’m going to sign you up and literally tricked me to coming down to audition for the producers over a phone call.”

Singing Kameron Marlowe’s “Giving You Up” at his judge’s audition, Thompson absolutely blew the judges away. Johnson even got to be there to cheer his buddy on. The experience was surreal for the singer-songwriter. “I freaking got a golden ticket and it went from there. The whole show was really just such a big learning experience for me,” he shared.

Of course, American Idol opened up doors for Thompson that he could only dream about. “I think about it every day. […] I get to play music now, hopefully for the rest of my life, and take care of my family this way. It’s pretty neat if you ask me,” shared the singer, adding, “I didn’t quite know what a record deal was, but I knew I always wanted one […] That was a very cool moment for me.”

Today:

Now, as a signed recording artist, Thompson is putting his stamp on the Nashville country music scene. Most recently, the singer released a song called, “Make You Rich,” the perfect song to encompass his journey thus far, despite being an outside cut.

Thompson recalls being pitched tons of songs, while on American Idol. “I was listening to so many songs, and we came across that song, “Make You Rich.” […] I really listened to the meaning of the words because I wanted something real and something I related to.” He found himself stuck between this song and “One Day Tonight.” While he originally went with the latter, post-show, his team encouraged him to record “Make You Rich” too.

The songs perfectly personify appreciating the little things and choosing to be a better person, a sentiment that Thompson spoke even during the interview. “I want to appreciate every little thing. I don’t want to ever feel like I need to change when it comes to that either.”

This is only just the beginning for the rising artist. As he finishes up his tour with fellow American Idol contestant, HunterGirl, Thompson is looking forward to sharing more music and officially moving to Nashville in the new year.

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Noah Thompson releases.

To keep up with Noah Thompson, follow him on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.

Noah Thompson’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

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Who Is Clayton Anderson? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

Who is Clayton Anderson? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

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Clayton Anderson // Photo by Hannah Fink

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Clayton Anderson
Birthdate – July 6th
Hometown – Bedford, Indiana
Current City – Nashville, Tennesee
Musical Influences – John Mellencamp, Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks, Jimmy Buffett, Johnny Cash
Label – Visionary Media Group
Current Single – “Let Me Go” (*as of date of article: 11/7/22)

The Beginning:

Today we are highlighting an incredible singer-songwriter, Clayton Anderson. While we often share new artists in this segment, Anderson is a name you might already recognize. The talented singer-songwriter has been hustling in the country music genre for years, and it is well-deserved.

Anderson grew up in Bedford, Indiana, a blue-collar town that instilled in him the value of hard work. While he had dreams of becoming a basketball player, the singer admits that music was a mainstay. “I discovered music through my parents, though they didn’t play instruments, but music was always on in our house,” began the singer. “Whether it was my mom listening to Elvis Presley or my dad listening to KISS and Aerosmith, and my grandma listening to Conway Twitty, music was always around growing up.”

Anderson especially loved country music. “I listened to everything growing up. […] We had all different kinds of radio stations in our areas, but I always loved Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, all those older guys,” shared the singer. “I also loved Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, and Garth Brooks just as much and loved John Mellencamp, he was always the God of music to us growing up.”

Despite early access to all different types of music, Anderson did not show interest in learning an instrument until he was a little bit older. “I didn’t really even pick up a guitar until my senior year of high school and I just fell in love with it. I was hooked,” shared the artist. “I caught the bug for it, and after that, there was no looking back.”

The Turning Point:

With a love of music in tow, Anderson headed off to college. “I kept doing worse in school and staying up late playing music,” the singer shared with a laugh. While he recalls playing music with his roommate, it was always just for fun, until one night, in particular, changed things for him.

“One thing led to another and someone ended up canceling a gig in our town and they had no one else to call. […] It was the busiest bar night of the year and they got stuck with me and I played the same seven songs over and over, but that first live performance was when I was truly hooked,” shared Anderson.

This was the moment that the singer started to consider making music for a living. While playing covers at bars were fun, he knew he wanted to be an artist, so he began writing songs on his own, little by little cultivating a new muscle.

“I really was like I need to be an artist, I need to write my own songs, I need to be my own thing. […] I want to give people something to believe in, to want to follow me, so instead of studying, I started writing down silly songs,” shared Anderson, adding later, “The more you put into your craft, the more you get out of it. I look back at some of those first songs and I chuckle and laugh, but a couple of them are still some of my favorites. […] To see the progression to now is still pretty cool.”

In 2011, the singer finally took the plunge and headed to Music City. “I finally just said I have to go to Nashville and see if I could make it.”

Today:

Flash forward to today, Anderson has three full-length albums to his name. “I’ve been working on it for a long time. It’s not some overnight success and it’s been a total grind, and I’ve had so many no’s that I just kept fighting through because luckily I’ve built such a fanbase, that was my yes. When I go play somewhere, and people are singing the words back to me, that’s what I needed to keep pushing on,” shared the singer-songwriter.

Most recently, Anderson released his album Made In The USA. The twelve-song project is the most personal project to date for the singer, featuring songs about heartbreak, love, our country, and his journey over the last several years. “The songs just seem to fit together. When you’re putting an album together, I still like to have a common thread between all the songs,” shared the singer. Adding, “to me, this is the deepest I’ve ever gone in my songwriting.”

On “Is It Too Late,” Anderson grapples with the fears and struggles associated with chasing a dream, while the title track is a true love letter to the American Flag and its people. “We can rally around each other. Rally around our flag. We’re all Americans. No matter where we come from and I just have so much respect for the men and women who serve our country here and overseas, and I just wanted to have a more positive light about it.”

Fans can catch Anderson playing these songs and many more at his next live show. Check-out his full schedule here.

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future  Clayton Anderson releases.

To keep up with Clayton Anderson, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

Clayton Anderson’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

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Who Is Madeline Merlo? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

Who is Madeline Merlo? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

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Photo by The Dwyers

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Madeline Merlo
Birthday – February 9th
Hometown – Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Music Influences – Rascal Flatts, Shania Twain, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Kieth Urban
Label – BBR Music Group
Current project- Slide EP (*as of date of article: 10/31/22)

The Beginning:

There is something exciting about watching Canadian country stars make the move to Nashville to grow and evolve their fanbase. Today, we are highlighting Canadian artist Madeline Merlo and her impressive journey so far.

Growing up in a small town in British Columbia, it was clear from a young age that Merlo was born to be a singer-songwriter. “I grew up in a pretty musical household with all types of genres,” she began. “I listened to a lot of Motown growing up and my mom loved country music, so a lot of Shaina Twain, Dolly, and the older stuff as well as Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, and more.”

At just six years old, Merlo recalls performing on stage for the first time. “I loved singing from a really young age. I performed for the first time at six years old at my kindergarten talent show. I sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from the Wizard of Oz and I remember just feeling this visceral reaction of loving being on stage and wanting to do it more,” she shared.

From that point on, her mom helped her through musical theatre auditions, commercials, singing competitions, and restaurant gigs – wherever she could perform, she did. After attending her first concert at ten years old, Shania Twain, Merlo was even more convinced that country music was her calling. “I am really grateful for that, for having that kind of direction. It wasn’t like a decision sometimes, I think, it was always clear that this is what I was meant to do.”

The Turning Point:

When Merlo turned fifteen, her life started to transform. “I met a songwriter and producer near my hometown, and I started singing demos for him, where I was like ‘what does it look like to write a real song’,” shared the singer. Adding that she finally started writing real songs in high school.

During high school, one of her classmates sent one of her songs, unbeknownst to her, to the local radio station. “It’s a story of a lot of hardworking and tenacity, but certainly luck as well too. There were a lot of God moments sprinkled into my story, especially in the beginning,” began Merlo. “It was within weeks of meeting the radio programmer that I ended up signing a record deal. It was really crazy. I worked with this label called Open Road out of Canada and started putting out music.”

Despite garnering major success in Canada, including Canadian Country awards, playing at every major festival, and charting songs, Merlo had Nashville on her mind. “My heart was really called to be in Nashville, so in 2017, I packed up U-Haul and drove down to Nashville.”

While cutting her teeth in Nashville, Merlo received a message from a casting director, who had reached out to her years prior for a show that was never made. The casting director ended up casting her on Songland. “My manager sent them one song, and they were like ‘Cool, your flight’s tomorrow.’”

She went on to not only win her episode, but Lady A made her song “Champagne Night” their radio single, which eventually spent multiple weeks at number one on the charts. “It blew open so many doors and got me in the room with so many songwriters, and ultimately landed me my record deal with Broken Bow.”

Today:

With a record deal and a supportive team behind her, Merlo has officially begun her rise to country music stardom in the United States. The songstress made her major label debut in September with her EP, Slide. The project features four incredibly well-crafted songs, all co-written by the singer-songwriter.

Each of the four songs shares a different side of Merlo’s one-of-a-kind talent and personality. “For this debut project on this new label and the states, I wanted it to feel diverse and very, very on brand for me and a little tease of what the album looks like,” shared the songstress. The singer admitted that it took a while to truly get the music she wanted, adding that working with Zach Crowell helped her create music that was just right for her project.

When asked about her favorite song, Merlo, understandably, had a hard time choosing. “I love ‘youngish’ so much. I love “Girl Where He Grew Up”, but I think “Slide.” It was the catalyst, it was the first song that Zach and I did together […] When I wrote “Slide” it felt like the first step forward in that direction of where I wanted the project to go.”

Fans can rejoice because Merlo is certainly not done delivering more new music! “We have music locked and loaded ready to go that we’re planning to put out in the New Year.”

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Madeline Merlo releases.

To keep up with Madeline Merlo, follow her on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Twitter. 

Madeline Merlo’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

who-is-ben-burgess

Who Is Ben Burgess? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

Who is Ben Burgess? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

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Photo by Chris Hornbuckle

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Benjamin Beauregard Burgess
Birthdate – 11/6/1984
Hometown – East Dallas, Texas
Current City – Nashville, Tennesee
Musical Influences – Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Ray Charles, Freddy Fender
Label – Big Loud Records
Current Single – “Tears the Size of Texas” (*as of date of article: 10/24/22)

The Beginning:

As always, we love to share rising stars in the industry with our followers; however, today you may recognize this gifted individual already. Ben Burgess started his career as a songwriter, but now he is ready to step into the spotlight as an artist and we have a feeling it’s another move in the right direction for the talented entertainer.

An East Dallas native, music was always Burgess’ path. “My dad was a guitar-playing, songwriting, fireman. I was raised in a firehouse around titans, heroes, and characters larger than life and that shaped the man I am and the kind of songs I write, and how serious I am about writing songs,” began the singer. “My mother was a hippie, still is, and a DJ, when she went to school in Oklahoma, so I grew up around a lot of different music, and I feel like you can hear it in a lot of these songs.”

Burgess credits his family and his Dallas upbringing for his love for music. “The fact that I grew up in the city has really influenced my songwriting and given it to some depth to where I’m not really singing about lifestyle songs, but more about life songs,” shared the singer. Burgess mentions a love for Frank Zappa, Frank Sinatra and James Taylor; however, it was Willie Nelson who helped him find a love for country music.

“It was Willie Nelson and it was the Stardust album, [my parents] had the record and they played it all the time, and the cool thing about that album was that he covered other songs, so he was doing like Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, all different kinds of music,” shared Burgess. “It really comes down to the guitar and the man or woman and the songs and I feel like country is the perfect genre to do that. And I’m really honored to be in it.”

The Turning Point:

Burgess continued his path toward country music, after a stint in Los Angeles, writing pop music. “I feel like country is kind of a grown-folk thing. We’re talking about heartbreak and there are all kinds of sad stories, and there’s a lot of honesty. […] It’s important for people to connect with each other and realize we ain’t that different at all,” shared the singer.

In 2014, Burgess made the move to Nashville, landing himself a publishing deal shortly after that. “It was blood, sweat, and tears the size of Texas on this journey […] I like to tell people when one door closes, a window opens, you just have to figure out which one it is, even if it ain’t open, find a rock and get in. […] For some reason, I never gave up.” Adding later, “I’m hoping I can inspire the next generation of songwriters, country superstars like Morgan and Ernest, Tyler Rich to keep going.”

As a songwriter, Burgess has written songs for artists like Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line, and The Cadillac Three. After finding success as a songwriter with a lot of Big Loud Records’ artists, it was no surprise that the singer would make his artist debut as a Big Loud recording artist.

Today:

Burgess made his artist debut with his brand new record Tears the Size of Texas. “We tried to get as many honest songs as we could for this album,” began the rising artist. “The process with me and Joey Moi, the producer, was really us going back and forth for months listening to the songs and going, ‘What’s the message? What’s the honesty here?’ And also trying to find a common theme that we can balance from.”

Burgess’ ten-song project has everything any country music lover could want. “I think we really found a good balance of some grit, some truth, and some badassness, and some sensitiveness. There’s some introspective on there and I think there’s a strength in being able to take a loss, and strength in talking about it and singing about it.” Some standouts on the record include the introspective solo write about grief, “Ain’t Got No Phone,” “Jackson,” and “Kill A Man.”

Thankfully this is just the beginning for Burgess. He plans to continue to release more and more music, as long as Big Loud will let him. As a songwriter, he has music for days, so it’s only a matter of time until he expands his already impressive artist catalog.

If you are dying to catch Burgess live, he is heading back out with Koe Wetzel (and Jelly Roll) next month. New York fans can catch him later this week, October 27th with Warren Zeiders. We anticipate hearing him jump on a major tour next year too! For tickets and more tour information, check-out his website here.

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Ben Burgess releases.

To keep up with Ben Burgess, visit his official website or follow him on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter.

Ben Burgess’ music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

who-is-chayce-beckham

Who Is Chayce Beckham? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

Who is Chayce Beckham? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-chayce-beckham

Photo by Jacoby Plyer

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Chayce Beckham
Hometown – Apple Valley, California
Current City – Nashville, Tennesee
Musical Influences – Johnny Cash, Sublime, Tim McGraw, George Jones
Label – 19 Recordings/BBR Music Group
Current Single – “Keeping Me Up All Night” (*as of date of article: 10/17/22)

The Beginning:

After many requests from fans, we are finally spotlighting Chayce Beckham’s story. While he rose to fame on American Idol, Beckham’s journey began long before his coveted win. Learn more about his rise here.

The singer-songwriter grew up in the high desert of southern California; however, his family’s roots are in Oklahoma. “We moved to California because my grandfather was working jobs in California at a construction company and we all kind of followed him out here,” shared Beckham. “I used to stay home with my grandma and she had a couple of acres […] She was very old school and she liked to sing and listen to old bluegrass.”

Beckham recalls being immersed in music from an early age, listening to the likes of country artists like George Jones and Johnny Cash with his grandmother. “I got my first guitar when I was three years old,” began the singer, “That kind of got me started on playing music. I played guitar for as long as I can remember. However, I didn’t start singing until I was older. I always wanted to, but I didn’t have control of my voice when I was young.”

In high school, Beckham started to branch out, listening to all sorts of different genres. “I wanted to be a rapper. […] Then I wanted to be in a rock and roll band and that led to wanting to be in a reggae band,” recalls the singer. “There was so much music available for me. I was exposed to so much, especially different cultures, different music, and different lifestyles, and I think I kind of struggled because I moved around so much when I was a kid to really like identify with something. I played around with a lot of different stuff. 

The Turning Point:

Despite getting into music at an early age and gigging with his friends in bands, Beckham still did not know what kind of music was calling him. “I kind of always had this drive in me to do music. I wanted to be known for my music,” adding, “I knew I wanted to make people feel better with music hopefully.”

When his band of high school friends fell apart in 2020, Beckham found himself feeling lost musically. “I started singing songs just acoustically on my guitar […] I was posting videos of Tyler Childers and Zach Bryan covers […] People were liking it and commenting on it.”

Soon thereafter, life started to throw Beckham some curve balls. He found himself getting a DUI after playing a show in Huntington with his band. His band and his relationship both ended, and he was forced to move back home with his parents. Two weeks later his parents signed him up for American Idol.

“My parents signed me up for American Idol and was accepted to do the judges audition and I didn’t want to go,” shared the singer. With some pushing from his parents, Beckham agreed to go. “They gave me three yes’s and I walked out of there as someone who had done everything wrong and had nothing left and having no hope at all to someone who had all the hope in the world and my imagination was lit on fire.”

Beckham credits American Idol for helping him turn his life around and giving him the platform he always dreamed of. The timing was perfect, even though it did not feel like it at first. “I got to go to this fast-track of music college,” shared a grateful Beckham.

Today:

Flash forward to today, Beckham is finally getting his chance in the genre he always loved. “When I was a kid, I was more sheltered to country music, and life as it got older, life started doing what it does to people, hitting road bumps, you kind of fall back to country music or just the music that made you feel good, which for me is the music that I felt good as a kid,” shared the singer adding later, “I think I found myself in the songs that I sing now.”

While his breakout song, “23” was the story of his past, his current songs reflect where he is now. With a debut EP under his belt, Doin’ It Right and a brand new single, “Keeping Me Up All Night,” Beckham’s dreams are officially coming true.

The single is romantic and heartwarming. “Keeping Me Up All Night” is all about that right kind of love. Beckham has fans swooning, as he reflects on what it is like being with the person that still keeps you up all night.

The singer-songwriter shared that more new music is coming sooner rather than later. There is even talks of an album. Until then, make sure to keep your eyes and ears on Beckham. This is only the beginning!

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future  Chayce Beckham releases.

To keep up with Chayce Beckham, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Chayce Beckham’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

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Who Is Avery Anna? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

Who is Avery Anna? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

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Quick Facts:

Full Name – Avery Anna
Birthday – March 2
Hometown – Flagstaff, Arizona
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Music Influences – Taylor Swift, Kelsea Ballerini, Carrie Underwood
Label – Warner Music Nashville
Current project- Mood Swings EP (*as of date of article: 10/10/22)

The Beginning:

There is nothing better than championing young women in country music. Last week we shared country newcomer, Avery Anna’s brand new debut EP, Mood Swings, but today we are sharing her journey to where she is now. The young and talented singer-songwriter is an incredible storyteller with music that everyone needs to listen to.

Growing up in Flagstaff, Arizona, Anna always had a love for country music. She shares, “I started singing when I was really young with my grandpa. He would play guitar and I would sing. […] “We would sing traditional country music like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard.” She credits those early experiences with her grandfather as the jumping-off point for why she fell in love with country music.

Anna also started writing music at a young age, after falling in love with Taylor Swift and her unique artistry.

“That’s kind of where my love of country music started and I’ve been keeping a journal, I write my own songs I guess since I was super little,” she began, adding later, “I remember going to a Taylor Swift concert when I was younger and watching her play, and thinking ‘I want to do this so so bad,’ but I never let myself verbally say that’s what I wanted to do for life, because I didn’t want that dream to be taken away from me if that doesn’t happen.”

Despite knowing in her heart that country music was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life, it was scary to admit that out loud. That all changed when social media gave her a platform for her music.

The Turning Point:

Like many of us, when the pandemic started, we went to social media to connect when we were born. For Anna, this started her on a trajectory to a record deal with Warner Music Nashville, but she didn’t know it yet. “When COVID hit during zoom school, I would get really, really bored, and I would go to my mom’s bathroom and I would sing in her big clawfoot bathtub because the acoustics were really good in there, and I posted on TikTok of me doing “Say Something” in there and it blew up.”

The viral video connected her with her managers, which eventually led to her record deal. “We started working together and I started posting my own music, and it’s just kind of taken off from there. It’s been a complete whirlwind,” shared the songstress. I graduated high school in May, so I’m 18, and I moved to Nashville in August and finished my senior year online.”

For Anna, the second she realized she could actually be a singer-songwriter and artist for a living, she was ready to go! “I never let myself have that dream until all the people around me believed in me, and then I was like pedal to the metal, let’s do this thing.”

Today:

Anna poured her love for artists like Taylor Swift, Patsy Cline, Zach Bryan, and Kelsea Ballerini into her debut EP, Mood Swings. According to the singer, “This EP touches on a lot of different parts of me as an artist that people haven’t seen yet in my music.”

The brand new project is an honest and incredible introduction to her incredible talent. “The reason that I called it ‘Mood Swings’ is because it has all the extreme emotions that I felt over the past couple of years. […] It kind of takes you on this emotional roller coaster if you listen to it top to bottom or even randomly, but I’m super, super proud of the writer’s on it.”

Songs like “Narcissist,” have already touched so many people across the music landscape “‘Narcissist’ for example has created this huge community on the internet of people who have walked through the same thing as me. And knowing that I wrote a song, created this space on the internet for people to talk about their stories is the most uplifting and comforting feeling in the whole world,” shared the singer.

Anna will continue to draw inspiration from her own life and infuse it into her music. Fans can catch her on tour with Spencer Crandall, and can anticipate more new music coming sooner rather than later! Keep Anna on your radar for sure.

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Avery Anna releases.

To keep up with Avery Anna, follow her on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

Avery Anna’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

who-is-anna-vaus

Who Is Anna Vaus? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

Who is Anna Vaus? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-anna-vaus

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Anna Vaus
Birthday – 09/14/1996
Hometown – Poway, California
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Music Influences – Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves, John Mayer, Harry Styles, Maren Morris
Label – Longshot Records (independent)
Current single – Younger Version of Myself EP | “Kinda Don’t Ever” (*as of date of article: 10/3/22)

The Beginning:

Today we shine our spotlight on singer-songwriter, Anna Vaus. An incredible artist from California, the songstress is the perfect addition to your music catalog.

Growing up, Vaus was always involved in music and entertainment. “Both of my parents are in entertainment,” she began. “I was just around music and this creative lifestyle since I was a kid. I think that really opened up this whole world to me of parents who were like “go write a song” or “go make a video with your brother and make up a skit.” […] That was huge for me that music or videography could be something that I do for a living.”

She grew up believing that she could pursue this dream of music thanks to the support from her parents and her undeniable talent. When Vaus discovered artists like Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves, she found herself gravitating to songwriting. “Since I was a kid, I was like this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life. I could see the arena tour, I could see all the things.”

While she loved artists like Swift and Musgraves, Vaus found inspiration in so many different artists throughout her upbringing. “Early 2000s country music was big, but we also grew up in this era of like being able to access any kind of music,” she began. “While I was listening to Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, and Rascal Flatts, I was also going way back listening to Billy Joel and Frank Sinatra or Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber. So it was just this melting pot of music that I was exposed to.”

The Turning Point:

Regardless of who she found herself listening to, Vaus always gravitated towards the lyrics and the stories that music shared. This led her to pursue higher education at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. She set out to major in songwriting. “Belmont allowed me to exist in Nashville, study music, but also continue this dream. Once I graduated, it was kind of full steam ahead,” shared the singer.

Upon graduating college, Vaus put her all into creating her sound and artistry. “I just continued pursuing this passion that I had for music until it became signing a publishing deal and growing a team of people around me that believed in my music,” she shared. “This whole time it was just led by the songs I was writing and the things that I was experiencing that has become the music I put out today.”

Vaus also credits social media for expanding her fanbase and reinvigorating her love for music time and time again. During the pandemic, when no one could play indoor shows, the singer-songwriter found herself taking to TikTok, asking people if they wanted her to play a safe show in their backyards. This led to 62 shows and an even bigger fanbase.

Today:

Now, Vaus gets to celebrate the release of her brand new EP, Younger Version of Myself, which dropped on Friday (9/30). “It’s five songs, well seven because there are some features on there. At its core, it’s these songs that I feel the whole thing is a love song to a younger version of myself,” shared the songstress.

Later, Vaus adds, “All of these songs are songs that a younger version of myself could have used at the time they were going through the situation. […] It’s just this honest representation of the things that I have gone through.”

There are songs like “Didn’t Even Date,” which talk about getting into a situation-ship and being sad when it’s over. Of course, the title track is one of the many standouts, as it touches on insecurities that are super relatable.

“At the beginning of 2021, I sat down at the piano and I was just kind of messing around […] I have never really written about my struggles with my insecurities and body image, that kind of thing […] That song became kind of an affirmation for me to give myself grace and we all just kind of need a hug at the end of the day,” shared the singer-songwriter, when asked about the title track.

Overall, Vaus shares, “It’s just an EP that is from my diary. I’m so excited to put new music out in this world, but especially this music because there are some important messages in it. But it also a fun EP to listen to.”

Fans can anticipate more new music and shows coming soon!

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Anna Vaus releases.

To keep up with Anna Vaus, follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Anna Vaus’ music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

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Who Are The Young Fables? The Story Behind Their Journey to Country Music

Who are The Young Fables? The country duo joined us to chat about their journey to country music. Get to know the rising stars here…

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Quick Facts:

Full Name – The Young Fables (Laurel Wright & Wes Lunsford)
Birthdate – Laurel: 9/14 + Wes: 12/9
Hometown – Maryville, Tennessee
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Musical Influences – Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell
Current Single – “Wonder If We Did”

The Beginning:

Today we shine our spotlight on a country music duo that you are going to want to add to your music catalog ASAP! The Young Fables, comprised of Laurel Wright and Wes Lunsford are an incredible male/female duo, who were born to make music together.

Despite not knowing each other, both Laurel and Wes grew up in East Tennessee in a town called Maryville. For Laurel, singing has always been her passion. “I’ve been pretty much singing my whole life, since I was three or four years old. I picked up the guitar when I was ten, wrote my first song, and just kind of played every hometown gig I could get.” She recalls always being interested in country music.

On the other hand, Wes had a different musical upbringing. “I grew up in the same place, but I never really listened to country music,” he began. “I got a guitar, I was probably like 13 or 14, and I just played rock and roll, Metallica, whatever songs I liked. When I was 19, I got really into Jazz music, and I did that for a little while. And I went to China to play and while I was over there for some reason, I started to listen to country.”

While their musical journeys were distinctly different, they ran in similar crowds unknowingly. When Wes came back from China, he finally met Laurel, after a friend called him when their band was in a bind.

“I had this gig coming up and I had this guitar player that didn’t show up the night before the gig at the rehearsal, and it was just a nightmare,” shared Laurel.  “I had this drummer, because I was a solo artist at the time, playing with a full band, and he calls Wes one of his buddies.”

The Turning Point:

“About a year and a half into that, we started the duo,” added Wes. The Young Fables were officially born. “We did everything backwards, played together, and then kind of fell in love.”

The Young Fables is a conglomerate of musical influences from both Laurel and Wes. While Laurel has always found inspiration in musical acts like Pasty Cline and Loretta Lynn, Wes loves Jazz music and Rock; however, he shared that he credits Glen Campbell for his introduction to country music.

As a duo, The Young Fables is a unique Country-Americana band. “The duo is my vocal with Wes’ guitar. […] Wes brings so many different elements to what I do that make up the sound,” shared Laurel.

After playing together for a bit of time, The Young Fables finally moved to Nashville to continue to pursue their dreams as a country music duo and as songwriters.

Today:

Currently, The Young Fables third studio album, Pages is slated for release this Friday (9/30). “This is our third record and between this record and our last record, it’s been two years, and during this time, we’ve written 60 songs that we were actively choosing what could be on the record,” shared the duo.

The record speaks to experiences the duo went through over time. Laurel vulnerably shared that she suffered the loss of her younger sister and her father over a short period of time.

“Whatever my possible meaning of life could be to maybe help others who have gone through the same thing. I was almost called to write that stuff and my experiences […] It was really important for me to put songs on the record that reflect that,” shared the songstress.

The duo later shared, “This record has a little bit of everything. We’ve got the song about my sister and all the questions I have for God, and a song about my dad […] Then we have songs about love, songs that are fun, songs about Wes and I. […] It’s the pages of my life, and that’s why the record is called pages.”

Fans can already listen to the current single, “Wonder If We Did,” which is out now “We wrote this song during a not-so-good time in our life. We just wanted to write a happy, fun song,” they shared.

In addition to touring the music, fans can anticipate a screenplay tour, which showcases the documentary The Young Fables created which chronicles the writing process behind their music.

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future The Young Fables releases.

To keep up with The Young Fables, follow them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

The Young Fable’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

who-is-dylan-marlowe

Who Is Dylan Marlowe? The Story Behind His Journey to Country Music

Who is Dylan Marlowe? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about his journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

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Quick Facts:

Full Name – Dylan James Marlowe
Birthdate – 6/9/1997
Hometown – Statesboro, Georgia
Current City – Nashville, Tennesee
Musical Influences – Tracy Lawrence, Keith Whitley, Linkin Park, Nickelback, Kenny Chesney
Label – Play It Again Publishing
Current Single – “Why’d We Break Up Again”

 

The Beginning:

Today we’re introducing you to a singer-songwriter that is about to blow up! Dylan Marlowe is the real deal. We chatted with the newcomer about his journey to Nashville, his new music, and what he has planned for the rest of the year. Keep reading to find out more.

Marlowe grew up in Statesboro, Georgia, where baseball was his number one passion until music found its way into his heart. “I had a buddy who had a guitar and I didn’t really get into music until my senior year of high school I think, in 2015,” began the singer. “Once I began writing my own music and playing guitar, that’s when I really fell in love,” he continued.

Despite not truly finding his love for making music until his senior year, the singer recalls being a fan of music in general at an early age. “I always liked music,” he shared, adding, “My upbringing was very different musically. My dad used to play drums in like a heavy-metal, Christian-rock band, so he was always very rock and roll and my mom was very country, so I kind of got a hard mix of the two somewhere down the road.”

He credits his parents for his love of artists like Linkin Park and Kenny Chesney. Later, he discovered traditional country music on his own. “When I got into country music, I found old country just on my own and really fell in love with Tracey Lawerence and Keith Whitley and all that stuff,” shared Marlowe. “Then when I discovered Eric Church, it was all over.”

The Turning Point:

Eventually, the singer started taking his passion for music a bit more seriously. “I had a few buddies in Nashville at the time that were from Statesboro and we kind of had this open night mic in town and a couple of the guys had been doing it for a while and they were singing their own stuff. […]  I was like I want to sing songs that I wrote that other people sing back to me. That kind of sparked that songwriter side of me.”

Despite considering a future in music, Marlowe still went to college for one year, and subsequently, worked for his father for the next two years. It was at the encouragement of his Dad, that he finally gave music a fair shot. “He was the one who said ‘man are you going to work with me forever or are you going to go there and do what you want to be doing’.”

Now, Marlowe has officially been a Nashville resident for four years, cutting his teeth on the happening singer-songwriter, country scene. As fate would have it, the singer also scored his first number one as a songwriter this year with the Jon Pardi single, “Last Night Lonely.”

“I was going to cut it. It was supposed to be one of my first songs, and I told all the publishers not to pitch it, and one of them accidentally did, and they were like Jon Pardi wants to cut it and potentially single it,” shared the singer, admitting that it was a crazy moment in his young career.

Today:

Flash forward to now, Marlowe is now sharing music of his own. Most recently, the singer-songwriter released a high-energy song called “Why’d We Break Up Again.” “The song is a fun song for sure. I didn’t even think I was going to put it out when we wrote it […] It kind of has this pop-punk element to it in a way, but when I went on tour in the spring it kind of opened my eyes to a lot.”

According to the singer, fans want energy and a fun set. “I feel like, in my opinion, if you’re not giving crazy energy for thirty minutes, why would those people come out to see you?,” adding later, “I have to do my best to win everybody over.”

Marlowe anticipates another uptempo song coming out soon too; however, after that, he is excited to put out slower music that he is also proud of. “I definitely have songs [coming] that are more ‘songwriter-y’, drawing from my Eric Church influence.”

As we await more music, catch Marlowe on tour with Cole Swindell this fall.

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Dylan Marlowe releases.

To keep up with Dylan Marlowe, follow him on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.

Dylan Marlowe’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

who-is-grace-leer

Who Is Grace Leer? The Story Behind Her Journey to Country Music

Who is Grace Leer? The singer-songwriter joined us to chat about her journey to country music. Get to know the rising star here…

who-is-grace-leer

Quick Facts:

Full Name – Grace Leer
Birthday – 11/28/1991
Hometown – Danville, California
Current City – Nashville, Tennessee
Music Influences – The Chicks, Jo Dee Messina, Faith Hill, Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes
Label – 19 Recordings
Current single – “Ones Before Me”

The Beginning:

Today’s spotlight shines on an artist who you might recognize: Grace Leer. After her impressive stint on American Idol, Leer has transformed her growing following into diehard fans. As we anticipate the release of her debut EP, the singer-songwriter shared with us all about her journey.

A California-native, Leer always had a passion for music. “I started singing at the age of six and started doing talent shows, and absolutely fell in love with performing and being on stage,” Leer shared. “I caught the bug early on.”

The songstress recalls always singing and performing around her town, while still playing competitive soccer (her other passion). She drew inspiration from talented female artists in the music industry.

“It was a lot of 90s pop and 90s country,” shared Leer, adding, “It was all these female 90s powerhouses for me, but being from California, I had all these other influences like rock and roll and soul, and blues, and like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.” She also credits country megastars like Shania Twain and The Chicks as some of her all-time favorites.

Despite loving music, Leer decided to take a more straight and narrow path upon graduating high school. “I had a pretty down-to-earth upbringing and then I was pretty fortunate to receive a scholarship to play soccer at UC Berkeley, so I ended up going to college, and playing soccer, and then after graduating, that’s when I felt I could really give 100% to music.”

The Turning Point:

Upon graduating with her degree, Leer was ready to put music at the forefront. “I felt like I had these boxes I needed to check before I gave everything to music and made it a full-time career,” shared the singer. She added that she never stopped performing, but that she really upped the ante after graduating.

“I started performing around the Bay Area again and started a country band with a friend of mine, and we started to write and perform our own music. Until eventually, I said I think we need to move to Nashville.”

In 2017, Leer made the move to Nashville. She began balancing a full-time job with weekend gigs all over Music City, truly honing in on her sound and talent. Eventually, American Idol happened, which catapulted her dream to the ethers.

“It kind of changed my life,” Leer began. “American Idol was incredible. […] Looking back now, I am just so grateful that I did it.” The singer recalls the new-found confidence she gained from making it top ten; despite, being being 28 when she auditioned. “I remember getting eliminated at top ten and being like this is awesome, I am ready to keep going.”

From that point on, Leer quit her 9-5, and music became her full-time focus.

Today:

Now, Leer can officially says she is a rising country music starlet. The singer-songwriter’s self-titled debut EP is officially dropping on September 14th. The EP boasts songs she wrote, as well as, outside cuts that she relates to.

“The EP is my debut EP. […] It’s just this introduction to people, post Americana Idol to see me as a songwriter and as an artist. It is a little bit country, a little bit California. It’s a little bit mainstream. It’s these true stories,” shared Leer.

She later adds, “It’s self-titled because it’s these real things that I’ve been through and it’s a way for me to connect with my fans on a deeper level with my writing and with my storytelling.”

Fans can anticipate a few heartbreak songs like, “Brought A Girl,” and “After 1,” as well as, fun-loving songs like “Ones Before Me.” The latter is an outside cut that Leer fell in love with upon listening. “[It is] definitely that song I think that represents what has influenced me as an artist and people who have paved the way for me to do what I am able to do now.”

Leer even brings her artistry to her music videos, as well was, a digital cookbook (Taste of Grace) that compliments the EP. This is only just the beginning for the singer-songwriter, and it appears that big things are on the horizon for her.

Connect:

Fans can join our Weekly Round-Up e-newsletter here, for the latest in country music and more news and announcements about future Grace Leer releases.

To keep up with Grace Leer, follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Grace Leer’s music is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released tunes on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.